if Only
by Flowerbudd
Summary: Meredith and Derek


Meredith downed her last sip of cold coffee, and set her mug down. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she sighed wearily. "Don't do that Meredith", Christina ordered. "Do what?" Mer asked. "You know you were just thinking about him, I'm not simpleminded." "Christina, try to imagine Burke.. hooked up with some perfectly perfect attending, under your nose.. every day, and all he wants from you is to be your friend. Don't tell me that even you wouldn't feel something." Christina sat up straighter, and leaned forward over the table, her eyes flashing with disbelief, "Jesus Christ Meredith Grey! Are you really that much of an idiot!" "Thanks", Meredith replied. "Oh my God, Do you really honestly think that McDreamy wants to be friends with you? The man is in love with you, Any idiot can see that, he chases you, he wants to keep you as close as possible, he's just too stupid to get off the pot and do something about it." Meredith looked at her friend uncertainly. "Yes! My God I can't believe you wouldn't see that by now", Christina sighed. " I guarantee you, especially after what he did to Mark... you give him something to be jealous about, and there is no way he will be able to keep his little triangle going." "I don't think like that Christina, I don't know if I could do it." Christina looked at her despondent friend, and decided she had put up with enough of gloom and doom. There was only one way to fix this, and obviously she had to do it. She scooted as close as she could and started to outline her plan...  
"God I hope this doesn't ruin everything", Meredith thought to herself as she glossed on some lipstick and took one last peek in the mirror. She left the ladies room and headed to the table, where her friends were. Izzy, Alex, George, Cassie, Christina, Burke, Finn, and some other friends from work were all hanging out. Christina gave her a wink, and she settled herself into her seat, feeling a little better. Finn smiled at her as she sat down beside him, and she smiled back. Christina had told her, that the only way to test once and for all, if Derek loved her, was to present herself to him as part of a couple. Christina had helped in organizing everyone to come down to the bar tonight to hang out, and Derek and Addison were due to be there soon. Finn had helped unwittingly, by asking Meredith out when she had gone to take Dog in for a checkup, and since she really did enjoy spending time with him, she wasn't exactly being facetious being out with him tonight. It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes either, too bad Izzy wasn't seeming interested in him, they'd be cute together. Christina's plan was for Meredith to ignore Derek, aside from a cursory greeting to both of the Shepherd's when they came in, and then seem completely absorbed in Finn. She felt kinda bad about possibly leading Finn on, but she was hoping he wasn't set on her like George had been.  
The door opened, and Derek and Addison walked in, Meredith turned, and nodded at them both as they took seats down the table, and then she turned back to her beer. Christina had warned her not to drink any hard stuff, it had to be clear to Derek that alcohol was not at all involved in anything tonight. She felt Derek's eyes on her, and she turned to Finn, praying he would be compliant. He turned to her, and they both smiled at each other. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, telling the joke she had heard from her patient today, and he chuckled. After about 20 minutes of the same, that seemed more like decades, she got up to excuse herself to the bathroom. Christina followed at a casual pace. " Oh my God Meredith, did you catch all the looks from McDreamy!" "No. no.. tell me!" Meredith demanded. " Well, you were down there just chatting secretly and giggling away with Finn, which just looked so right by the way, and Derek just basically couldn't take his eyes off you, or participate in conversation. Addison kept stopping and staring at him, when she noticed where he was looking, it was perfect!" Meredith shakily swiped a piece of hair back, and looked at her friend. "just relax, keep it up, you are doing great." Christina patted her on the shoulder and headed back to the table. After waiting a minute to catch her composure, Meredith headed back too.

"So, I didn't realize you and Dog's Doctor knew each other so well", Derek was waiting in the hallway by the bathroom door. "You scared me!" Meredith exclaimed. "What's the story Grey?" Derek put his arm up on the wall and leaned in to her, blocking her walk by. "Derek, we are friends, but I don't think that gives you the right to scrutinize my love life, does it?" His eyes flashed, but he didn't move. "Meredith...". "Meredith, what? Derek. so Finn and I are close, I didn't think I had to tell you things like that." "you didn't think I would care?" he asked her. Meredith felt weak kneed, faint, and tried to gain the upperhand, "Why would you care? Except to be happy for me maybe? Like I am happy for you and your wife?" Derek looked down,"Ouch" Meredith took a breath, and then decided she had waited long enough to tell him what she had been feeling all this time. "Ouch? No Derek, ouch was finding out that you had a wife. Ouch was finding out that you loved that wife, and that the minute she came back into your life, there wasn't room for me anymore. Ouch was having to be here, every day, and see you both. That was Ouch." "Meri.." Derek's eyes were sad, he held hers. "No Derek, Meredith nothing. It's almost like you have enjoyed having two women after you all this time, but now, now I go and find someone for me, who just wants me, and all of a sudden you aren't okay with it? You don't have that right." Meredith ducked, to walk past him, when he put his hands on her waist and gently pushed her back against the wall. "You don't understand, all this time, I've been trying, but.."  
"Well, what have we here?" Addison's voice rang out, cool and trilling like a bell...

_Addison" Derek stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides. " You two look almost as cozy as Meredith and Finn looked out there, " Addison replied, her eyebrows raising. Meredith looked at both of them , like a deer caught in headlights, and turned around and headed back to the bathroom. "Damnit Addie!" Derek exclaimed. "Excuse me? I'm not the one who had my arms around my husband's ex-girlfriend." Derek stepped to Addison, facing her dead on. He started to speak, paused, looked towards the bathroom door, shook his head. "You have anything to say Derek?" Addison asked. " Derek looked at her, "If you will excuse me, I'm going to send one of Meredith's friends into the restroom to make sure she is ok, and then I am going home." he walked off, back to the table. "Damnit!" Addison raged to herself. She hated when he went all cold like that. Why couldn't he quit with Meredith. All night he had stewed and stared at her and Finn. She watched his exit from the bar as she headed back to the table. Every time he pulled something like this, she couldn't help but think about Mark, and how he loved her one on one. If only Derek could love her like that again. _  
_"Meredith... Open the stall now," Christina knocked on the bathroom stall. " Go away" came the barely audible reply. " Mer, what happened honey?" Izzy asked. Meredith shuddered. If she so much as discussed it or thought about it again, she'd be sick all over again. " Just come out, and we can take you home", ever wise Christina told her. Meredith opened the door, her finger to her lips. "don't even talk to me, please. I can't handle it, seriously." She walked over to the sink, washed out her mouth, and looked at her friends in despair. " I'll tell the boys you don't feel well" Izzy volunteered. Christina herded her to the door, and out through the bar to the car. Izzy came bounding over a few minutes later. "George is going to drive my car home, and Finn said he hopes you feel better Mer." Meredith smiled wanly. " Obviously something happened with McDreamy, but I guess we don't have to talk about it, " Izzy trailed off. Christina glared at her in the rearview mirror, and Izzy went mum. Meredith groaned quietly, and held her head in her hands. Just take me home, just take me home, she chanted to herself silently. She couldn't wait to go to bed, and close her eyes and forget the stupidest scheme ever. How she would ever go back to Seattle Grace, was a mystery. The first go around with the Shepherds had been enough, this , now, to be caught in the middle again, was unbearable. _

_Derek slammed the door to the trailer behind him, tossed the keys somewhere near the table, and and shrugged out of his jacket. The look in Meredith's eyes made his gut twist. All this time, he realized that somehow her and him had both been thinking of their separation as temporary, and now , Meredith had … well he just hoped nothing had broken there. He loved Addison, she was his family, she was his friend. She was a sexy woman, and someone would be very lucky to call her his, but he wasn't that someone. Nowhere, at any time had he felt what Meredith made him feel for Addison. It saddened him to think of it, but somehow he didn't really he think he was that guy for her either. They had been young, different people. Their marriage wasn't a bad thing, or a mistake. For the people they had been , it was good. But people grow, change. They were like two people with a bad habit, trying to hold on like they had been. Meredith was so fragile. He smiled thinking about her, she was like a breath of spring air, after a long winter. It wasn't Mark, or Meredith though, who had brought his marriage to an end. Addison and he had just simply grown, and grown apart. He had to make it so that they could stay friends, and family. Looking back at the last few months, Addie had to have felt and known the same things. It hurt him to think about the pain Meredith had put up with, and that he had caused it. Damn thick Irish head. _  
_Addison was so strong, Meredith didn't have that kind of resilience to draw on. He had to talk to her, but he had to do right by Addie first. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed. _

Addison sat on the park bench, staring at her husband. Tears were welled in her eyes, and his. Although her heart ached, she felt strangely light. Mark had been right all this time. She was so damn headstrong, she had refused to admit the truth and be happy and let Derek be happy. Just so she could "win".  
"Derek, is Meredith going to be able to handle this?" she asked. He looked at her with sad, tired eyes. "I don't know Addie." Unable to believe she was giving him advice on this, she said, "well you just have to be persistent. If you want I will even talk to her and tell her." " You might just have to , I can't imagine anyone else ever being in a situation like this" he sighed.  
Addison chuckled. She was sure they weren't the first. She knew Meredith loved her husband. Could she blame him forever for being Derek, and letting the marriage have one last chance? It had to have been obvious to everyone all this time who he had really loved even so. She couldn't believe how blind and stubborn she had been. Thank God they were not ending the way it could have turned out. They meant a lot to each other. She still loved him, maybe even in a romantic way… but not a breath stopping, heart pounding, music playing way. Not like the way she…the way Mark made her feel. "Derek, I feel awkward asking this…. About Mark…" He shook his head. "Addison, the one big difference between Meredith and him, and why you never really could hate her… she had no idea you even existed. He knew." "But Derek, he has told me before he sensed we weren't really together anymore. He loves you. My God, you've known him longer than you've known me. Do you really think he would hurt you like that for no reason?" Derek closed his eyes. Flashes of conversation with his ex-best friend filled his head. Mark had tried to talk to him about the changes he had been sensing in his friend for a long time before he left New York. That was something that was going to take time though. He looked at Addison and smiled. "that will have to be a work in progress, that's all I can promise right now. But I think you should call him. As angry as I am, I have to admit that if I had to pick someone for you, it would be him." His eyes crinkled into a smile and Addison felt more like herself than she had in ages. "let's do this" she laughed, and he nodded and agreed.  
·  
Addison looked at her carefully manicured nails, nervous about the outcome of her phone call. She knew that Mark had come to Seattle for her, but she had let him come and go, ignored. She had no idea, how he would react to her now. She hit the send button, took a deep breath, and tossed her hair back. It rang twice and she head him. "Addie, is that you?" his voice sounded so good. "Mark… I don't know wha… " "I've been waiting for you to call," he cut in. "Where are you?" he asked her. "I'm in Seattle, at a hotel". She heard his intake of breath. "Does that mean?.." he trailed off. "Derek and I, we aren't the same people anymore. We had to try though. I don't know how to explain that to you …." "Addison, do you really think, after I have been best friends with you both for so long that you need to explain that to me? You wouldn't be the people you are if you didn't." Addie sighed. Could he mean he understood? Just like that. "I've waited for you Addison, "he continued, "You both needed more time than I did to see it, but I knew you would."  
She felt herself smile at the same time tears escaped out of the corners of her eyes. "Mark…" She couldn't continue. "Oh Addie, my beautiful Addison, how soon can you be home?" She erupted into a happy sob. She never imagined she could feel like this the day she ended her marriage. "I want to drive to the airport and get on the next flight Mark, I need to touch you. But I can't leave Richard in the lurch like this. And Derek… Mark, I think he wants to forgive you." Mark closed his eyes. Derek was like his brother. He had never forgiven himself for hurting him. No matter how he felt about Addison, he would have never touched her if Derek had loved her though. He had seen their marriage end a long time ago. "I'll come Addison. I will come to you wherever you are. Just like I vowed to wait for you for as long as you needed." Addison rocked herself , aching to be held in his arms, but content to know he'd be with her as soon as possible. She gave him the details of the hotel, and they disconnected so he could get started.

Derek hesitated on the porch. How he was going to get past the old guard he was positive was inside guarding his target, he had no idea. There was no way he was going to get help from George to get past Izzy either. He scratched his head in frustration. He smiled as it came to him. He walked back to his car and headed to the local discount chain. Perusing the aisles, he finally came across what he wanted, made a quick stop in the floral aisle, and the music selection. Primed and ready, he headed back to the Grey residence. In his car, he tore the portable stereo out of the packaging, loaded the batteries, and inserted the cd and and queued it. Walking as stealthily as possible to the side of the house to her window, he set his stereo down, threw his jacket down, and prepared to hit play on as loud a volume as possible. Taking a deep breath, he hit play as the music flooded out into the quiet of the night..

Music plays The Reason  
Lyrics: I'm not a perfect person  
as many things I wish I didn't do  
but I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
and so I have to say before I go  
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me  
to change who I used to be  
a reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you  
it's something I must live with everyday  
and all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
and be the one who catches all your tears  
that's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me  
to change who I used to be  
a reason to start over new  
and the reason is you  
and the reason is you  
and the reason is you  
and the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
and so I have to say before I go  
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me  
to change who I used to be  
a reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show  
a side of me you didn't know  
a reason for all that I do  
and the reason is you

He stood there, waiting and praying. Sure enough, curtains moved. Meredith stared down at him in shock. He looked at her, then reached down and picked up the stereo, and raised it over his head as high as he could hold it. Remembering her impassioned speech to him. He saw her widen her eyes, and realized she was aware of what he was doing. Now he just had to keep praying. His breath caught as the curtains dropped back . Somewhere, someone yelled out about the music, and he turned it down a little, holding it closer to her window. Nothing. "Meredith" he called out in his loudest whisper." I'm not leaving!" "Are you an idiot!" he heard from behind him. He jumped, and turned. There she was. She had herself all wrapped up in an oversize sweater, like it was shielding her from the world. He nudged the volume down, and set the stereo down. He was afraid to move, afraid to startle her into flight. "Meredith" he breathed. "Don't" she put her hand up in a stop motion. "Please Derek." He tilted his head to the side, and smiled gently. "Meredith, oh Meredith." " No you don't! You don't come over here all McDreamy on me Derek." Her eyes flashed." I'm done mooning over you, and trying to make you jealous with veterinarians. And being all sad about you and your… dumb ….dumb self." "Make me jealous? So you and Finn aren't…" "I'm talking now, me Meredith. You listen. " She cut him off, " I've sat here all this time, pathetic. And I'm not going to be that girl anymore Derek. I'm going to date, and kiss and have sex and not even care if you have all the million dollar smiles flashing off like lightbulbs everywhere! I'm done with you seriously and truly." She ended with a huff.  
"can I talk yet?" he asked. "No , no I don't think you can Derek." She took a step backwards. Derek instinctively took two steps towards her, and realized his mistake too late. She stepped back again, and then "Take your radio and your whole self and just go. I'm not going to play this game anymore with you. " "Meredith! No wait! You don't understand… I lo…." He watched in dismay as she slammed the door, having run back to the porch. Great! He walked up behind her to knock when Izzy opened the door. "Goodbye Dr Shepherd." "Izzy please! Addison and I are over, I realized I can't be without Meredith." Izzy slammed the door shut, and he realized that there was no way he was going to get in the fortress. He headed back to his car, trying to call her on her cell phone, but got voicemail right away. He decided that although he would rather say his piece face to face he had to try whatever he could. "Meredith, if you listen to this… I love you. I choose you, please don't let me be too late, give us a try. please call me. I am so sorry." Frustrated, he headed back to the trailer.

Addison leaned back in the spa tub, closing her eyes. Her perfect feet were in the lap of the handsome man across from her, as he kneaded them in his strong capable hands under the warm sudsy water. " MMmmm" she sighed, "That is heaven." Mark smiled at her in his roguish sexy smile and chills ran up and down her spine… again. "I can't believe you walked away from THAT." He teased her. She couldn't either. She had forgotten how intense it had been , and she had remembered it as being pretty damn good. She shifted her feet, and leaned forward to kiss him on the lips. "Do you know, they called you McSteamy? I think they were betting on you to hook up with Meredith too." He chuckled. "Well, I like to play with the women, I don't buy into that whole wet kitten thing." She laughed, "It's okay , I don't blame her, you don't have to for my sake." "McSteamy huh? Do you think I'm McSteamy?" " Oh like I need to stroke your ego anymore Dr Sloan," she laughed. He pulled her onto his lap, and nestled his face in her hair, and whispered what she could stroke instead. "Seriously though Addison, we need to talk. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, waking up every morning stuck to your side. I'm willing start a practice out here, on my own. I had been thinking about doing it back in Manhattan anyways." Addie turned around and looked into Mark's eyes. "I would love that, I'm not saying we have to stay here forever, but I want a few years here, I think Richard might have thought about me as chief." She wanted to be able to reconcile her family too. Life would not be right until Derek, Mark and her could all share a laugh again

Meredith sat at the table, cupping her tea and pondering it for some snippet of wisdom. "So he's calling your voicemail, and telling you he wants to be with you, and Addison called and basically wished you luck with him?" Izzie asked incredulously. Meredith raised an eyebrow in response. "And you are staying here, sick, and hiding?" She nodded her head slightly. "Wow." Izzie breathed. "Do you want to be with him" she asked? Meredith looked up, took a sip of tea, and set her cup down wearily. "I don't trust myself to be near him. I know the minute I look at him, I'll melt like ice cream. Seriously Izzie, I don't know what I want. Yeah I want to be with him, and yeah I don't want to be this girl who keeps doing this! How lame would I be to just , after all this, snap there we are?" Izzie eyed Meredith sympathetically. Somehow, somewhere, things like this seemed to happen to her friend. "Well, after seeing you so depressed all this time, and now you have the chance to be happy… I mean come on he left his wife for you! Yeah a little later than you'd like, but it was good he gave it a try. And seriously Meredith, if after all this, then you didn't give it a chance wouldn't it just seem like a soap opera?" Meredith sighed. "I know, ideally, you'd make him chase you now, but isn't it just wasting time? I mean , seriously, you know, and I know that you want to be with him." Meredith took another sip of tea, and looked at her friend. "Well say something damnit," Izzie demanded. Meredith knew too well that Izzie was speaking the truth. She did love Derek. She was desperate enough in love with him that she would drop anything to be with him if he wanted her. And now he did. Looking back, like Christina had said, he had wanted her all along. Could she fault him for giving Addison the chance? They had ended it as friends from all reports coming in, by Addison herself. How many ex-wives call your voicemail to tell you that she thinks you and her ex-husband belong together. And she means it in a nice way? Sure she could make him pay now for making her follow him around like a dog, which she had done. But, like Izzie said, every minute spent away from him was just hell. She stood up, pushing her chair back. "Meredith! Aren't you going to say something!" Izzie cried. Meredith looked at Izzie and smiled. "Somehow you said it all Izzie. Thank you." Izzie looked surprised as Meredith headed out of the kitchen to her room. She grabbed some clothes, and headed to the shower. "Meredith?" Izzie called through the bathroom door. "I'm getting ready," she called back. "For? Izzie asked. "to talk to Derek." She finished her shower, dried her hair, daubed on some lavender oil, and got dressed. It was Saturday, Derek would be in the hospital. She pulled a brush through her hair and headed out to Seattle Grace.

Derek looked up from where he sat at the nurse's station reading charts. Meredith was heading towards him. His heart caught in his throat. It had been 3 days since he had been to her house. He hadn't seen nor heard a sign of her. He looked back down at his chart, scared to hope she was coming towards him. He smelled Meredith smell and slowly looked up. "Dr Shepherd, can we talk?" she asked him. "Dr Grey?" he responded. Meredith's heart beat faster at the look in his eyes. She wanted to take his face in her hands, and kiss him. He looked worried. "Derek… do you want to get some coffee?" Hearing her say his name, he relaxed a little. "Of course I do," he got up, and headed around the desk towards her. "Actually, I was about to leave, I'm finished here.. Do you want to go somewhere?" "Sure." They headed to the elevators. He felt like everyone in the hospital was watching them. She did too. Meredith had a wild fantasy of stopping the elevator and ravishing him. He did too. They stepped in, and he leaned in past her to hit the lobby button. Neither one spoke. Meredith felt like she was going to pass out. "So.." he started. Meredith didn't trust herself to speak. She hadn't actually planned this far ahead. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. They both headed off. "Do you want to go in my car?" He asked. "Sure." They headed out of the hospital, not touching. They both settled into his car, and he started it. They hadn't discussed where to go. He decided to drive through Starbucks, and then head to the ferry. Barely breathing through the coffee exchange, they got their drinks and Meredith recognized where they were heading. He parked, and they both got out and headed to the boats. It was windy, a little grey. It felt anything but dismal. Meredith held her cup, nursing it for warmth. Derek set his down on the rail, forgotten. "Derek.." she began. "Meredith, I have rehearsed this so many times. I am so sorry. Sorry doesn't begin to describe how I feel. I never stopped loving you. I had to give Addison the chance so we could end it like we did, as friends. But it doesn't repair what I did to you in the meantime." "Derek, I don't even want to talk about it." Meredith set her cup down and turned to him. "You don't?" "No, all that is time we can't get back, and I don't want to waste anymore time on it. It took me awhile to come to terms with that. I wanted to make you feel like I did. I wanted to, but I love you too much." Derek smiled at her, he brushed her hair off her face. It was the first time they had touched, and it felt like shocks. He leaned in, smelling her, smelling Meredith, and he kissed her at last, tasting Meredith. His body felt like it had just warmed up from frostbite. Meredith wrapped her little arms around him, and he didn't think he would be able to let her go. Finally she pulled back from him, and looked up into his eyes. "You know what I love so much more about you" she asked." We don't even need words." He understood what she meant. He kissed her forehead, and then rested his chin on her head. Tears were welled in his eyes. He had known he wanted this all along, but part of him had begun to believe he would never feel Meredith again. Meredith was the sun coming through the clouds, the smell after a spring rain, the fire to sit by on a cold night. Derek had worried he would never feel alive again. His heart ached everytime he thought of how she must have felt all this time, and how she had waited, whether she wanted to or not. "Meredith, I am going to make all this time up to you." He vowed. "Derek, you so are." She grinned at him. Seeing her smile, a rarity lately, was the last straw. Unashamedly he buried his face in her lavender scented hair and cried. Meredith cried too. Being in Derek's arms was so now, so real. She couldn't really remember what it had been like to be out of them. "Derek…. I don't think Izzie's home." He lifted his face out of her hair,"oh really? Are you hinting that you want to take advantage of me Dr Grey?" She smiled and raised her eyebrow, "Whose hinting?" Clasping hands, they headed back towards the parking lot towards the car, leaving the ferries in the background.

Meredith opened one eye cautiously, afraid to wake up and find it had all been a dream. Two inches from hers, was Derek's handsome face. He was sleeping. She smiled and looked at the face of the man she loved. His hair fell onto his forehead in a boyish way, and he looked peaceful. Right now he didn't show signs of the lack of sleep from the night before. She was afraid to wake him up, and started to back away slowly, untwining her legs from his. One eye popped open, and he looked at her, opening his other. "Shhhh, go back to sleep" she told him. "Where are you going?" He asked, pulling her back into his chest. She sighed, feeling his arms close around her, nowhere she guessed. He smiled at her, and gave her a nudge with the part that was pressing against her hip. "Dr Shepherd! Do you have no mercy?" she giggled. He leaned in and kissed her, a perfectly perfect, McDreamy kiss. Like she had been dreaming about all this time. She kissed him back happily. The door started making a knocking noise. "Meredith! Rise and shiiii", Izzy trailed off as she burst jubilantly into the room, through the door that hadn't gotten locked. "Ohhhh Dr Mc…Shepherd, "she caught herself. "Hello Izzy," Derek smiled at her, as Meredith untangled herself, started to wrench the sheet to cover herself, caught herself before she exposed Derek, and grabbed a towel from the floor. "Izzy! Hi." She said. "Hi… ", Izzy trailed off. "Ummm ," Meredith countered. "Yeah…", Izzy backed towards the door. "Waffles? ", Derek asked, wrapping the sheet around himself and standing up next to Meredith, "Anyone want waffles?" Izzy, greatful for a diversion nodded and ran to the kitchen to start. She was shocked, happy, well she was something, it was weird. She should have taken note of Dr Shepherd's car out front when she came in this morning at dawn, but she had been too tired. Waffles were a good way to start a day, she thought as she filled the coffee basket. "Wow, "Meredith said. "What? It isn't like she doesn't know about us, it's fine.. in fact it's normal, natural for me to be here." Derek said, smiling at her. "You, " she shook her finger at him, " you just always make light of everything and no big deal." "It's funner that way," he quipped. Meredith smiled and headed to the bathroom. She started the shower, slipped in, and felt Derek slip in beside her. "Izzy is making waffles…which you were going to help her with." Meredith said. "Izzy cooks much better than me, " he said, as he took her in his arms.


End file.
